


Loss of Free Will

by simply_nerdy



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Ballroom Dancing, Castles, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Kissing, M/M, Princes & Princesses, Sexuality, Slow Burn, Strangers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-23 16:32:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13194105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simply_nerdy/pseuds/simply_nerdy
Summary: Prince Dan Howell is supposed to use the Selection to find a bride. But he doesn't want one. He doesn't want to be a prince. He wants to be free from the responsibilities. He wants to find love on his own time. He feels that he has lost all hope until he meets someone who gives him something he thought he could he never have. Freedom.*The universe is based on the Selection Series by Kiera Cass.So basically, in this universe, the prince or princess is put into a Bachelor or Bacherlorette like scenario where 35 people will come to the castle and compete for the hand in marriage. Over time, some will be eliminated until the prince or princess chooses one person to win and to marry.This is my first ever fic, so I'm sorry if it's trash :)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: This is not meant to portray any real life people or events. It is merely a work of fiction.
> 
> Sorry for any errors or it's too cheesy! Enjoy :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Daniel Howell is nervous about the upcoming announcement and his parents do not want to hear anything about it.  
> *Sorry, it is really short!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: This is merely a work of fiction.
> 
> Sorry for any mistakes or if it's too cheesy. Enjoy! :)

There was a knock at the door, a persistent one. Dan groaned and rolled over muffling his face into his pillow, but the knocking kept going. Eventually, a young maid entered the bedroom carrying a garmet bag and alongside her was a styling team. Dan groaned. He knew exactly what today was. It was the day that the Selection would be announced. A day he had been dreading his entire life. His parents had been preparing for him for this since he was young, but he never actually thought it would come. And he already hated it. He hated the idea of having girls compete like animals for his attention. He already hated the idea of being a prince. It seemed like his world had been decided for him since the day he was born. There was no choice, no independence, and no free will. That was what disgusted him the most. But, he wanted to make his parents happy. He knew his mother would be so disappointed with him if he refused to do it as would his father.

"Your Highness, we need to get prepared for the announcement. It's extremely impor-" said the maid, Becca, before she was interupted by the frustrated prince.

"Yes, yes, yes, crap, I know. It's important for your future and blah blah blah." Dan said rather rudely. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act like a complete asshole, but in case you didn't notice I'm throwing my entire life out there to the wolves and my heart out to some girl who doesn't even know me and probably only cares about my fucking title."

"Your Highness, your father and your mother only want whats best for you. Your father fell in love with your mother during his Selection and look what came out of that. You and your brother both have lived extraordinary lives and I think you don't realize have great you have it. You live in the beautiful kingdom of Illea and-" Becca said before being interrupted AGAIN.

"Oh for the love of-, Can we just get on with this already?" Dan grumbled before getting out of bed. Had it been anyone else, Dan could have had the maid thrown out the kingdom faster than the blink of an eye, but Becca was one of the only people in his life who would be completely honest with him. And while he hated having his basic human rights stripped of him, Dan appreciated the subtle honesty when he got it.

He was poked and prodded and he wanted to die throughout the entire morning. He looked past the mirror and tousled his dark, brunette hair. He had a habit of straightening it for so many years, but today, he decided to leave his natural curls be. Besides, his father hated them and it was all the more reason to do it. Dan made his way down the stairs of the main corridor of the castle, nodding to servants and maids along the way until he noticed his parents  
sitting outside on the terrace eating breakfast.

"Ah, darling, please come join us! His mother said earnestly. She stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Daniel, please sit" his father said "We have much to discuss concerning the announcement today." His father did not hug or kiss him. He merely stuck out of his hand for a quick shake. He also gave a look of disgust at the sight of Dan's curly hair. His dad was not the warmest of people.  
"Now, today is obviously an important day not only for your but for the country as a whole. The young ladies will be picked from across the country and they will be brought here to compete for your hand in marriage. You will have plenty of time to meet the ladies and get to know them, but you will need to eliminate some of them quickly. Once you narrow it down to the final six or the Elite, you will need to pick a bride. Do you understand?"

Dan blinked. He knew this would going to be a quick process but he had no idea that his entire life would be decided within a few months!  
"Do I have to do this!?" he burst out in a frenzy of panic. "I mean, this is a lot to do in only a few months and why do I have to choose then? Why can't I wait a little bit? Why can't you make Adrian do this instead!?"

His mother looked at him with a concerned, yet motherly look. " Honey, you knew this was coming. It is your duty as the first born to become the heir to the throne and besides, it won't be that scary! You're going to find someone who going to change the way you look at life and the world. Don't you want that?"

"Yes, I do, but at my own time and at my own pace. What's so bad ab-"

"Enough Daniel." his father said sternly " You know your responsibilities as prince and you have an obligation to this country to fulfill them. And I know you will do them. You wouldn't want to disappoint us, would you?"

Dan looked up at his parents and the look that came from his dad struck fear throughout his body. It was the same fear that rocked his body when he was kid. His dad had always been a cold-hearted man, but this time it was different. It seemed threatening. Almost dangerous. He hated it.  
"No sir...."

"Excellent! We'll have the announcement as expected and I hope that you will be on your best behavior." said his father.  
Dan nodded and dismissed himself, tears stinging his eyes. He just wanted to die.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan disappears for the night and meets a mysterious stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: A mere work of fiction.
> 
> Sorry for any mistakes or bad writing. Enjoy :)

The announcement went as expected. The country was roaring with anticipation and girls from all over Illea were buzzing with excitement about becoming the future princess and wife of Daniel Howell. Dan put on his fake smile and wore it like his crown when in reality, he wanted to lock himself away and just be alone. He had thought about running away before, but the castle is so heavily guarded that he wouldn't make it half a mile before being caught. He just wanted a way out.

So that night he went to his hideout. The greenhouse.

The castle's greenhouse was a huge atrium with flowers and plants everywhere. It smelt amazing and it gave Dan an escape when he needed it. So he found himself there a lot. After the announcement, Dan and his family returned to the castle and Dan immediately dismissed himself to get changed and he went off to the greenhouse to be alone. Now, he had been here for hours and had missed dinner and he wished he could just stay there forever. It was his own little world away from the responsibilities that his father constantly burdened him with. Over time, Dan had smuggled small objects into the greenhouse, stuff like books, some blankets, and a little mirror. It was almost as if he was moving in here.

Well, that's what he wanted, right?

Dan walked around the greenhouse and picked up the small mirror and looked at himself.  
"What's so special about me?" he said out loud. "I'm too tall, too awkward, and too fucking lonely."

That was ironic thing about Dan. Despite wanting to be alone, he found himself craving a companion. Someone who will listen to him and take what he has to say to heart. It didn't have to be a lover or a princess. He just wanted a friend. It was something that he had never had before. And it sucked.

"I'm also too fucking indecisive!" he said angrily before chucking the mirror across the atrium. A shattering noise rang through his ears.  
Dan ran to the other side of the atrium and found the tiny object cracked with small pieces missing and scattered across the floor.

"Damn it, why do I do this to myself?" he said, tears beginning to cover his dark brown eyes.

He walked over to the window and stared out to the kingdom and land beyond. He gazed at the trees, the mountains, the rivers, and the bright, full moon sitting on the sky.  
There was something about the moon that interested Dan. It reminded him of himself. Something that was bright and mysterious, but wanted to disappear sometimes. He saw the different phases of the moon as different phases that he was in. Some days, he was happy and open and others, he was quiet and wanted to be alone. It was then that he noticed a small shooting star soaring across the night sky. It was a small one, but he could see it and that was all he needed and he knew what he needed to do.

"I need help. I wish for a fucking miracle to bring me out of this shitty situation. Something. Anything." he choked out with tears slowly streaming down his face.  
It was then that the star disappeared and clouds slowly began to cover the sky...and his moon.

"Typical..." He slid onto the cold, hard floor and began to sob.

\--

Hours continued to pass and Dan was still sitting on the floor of the greenhouse. He had missed dinner and he had texted his mother to let her to leave him alone for the time being. Dan didn't have access to much technology, but he did have a basic cell phone on him for emergencies despite his father's wishes. His stomach growled and a migraine pounded his skull. What was he to do? He didn't want to go back, but he was cold, hungry and dirty. In all of his 18 years on this earth, Dan had never felt more low than he had right now. And he didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching the atrium and he ran to hide behind one of the large trees. He soon saw a flashlight shining around. He also heard a low voice asking a question.

"Your Highness? Your Highness?"

Dan turned peaked around the oak tree to see who the mysterious figure was. Standing near the fountain in the center was a tall, young man with what seemed to be dark, jet black hair. He seemed to be around his height. Dan couldn't quite make out the details of the face and when he tried to get a little bit closer to the mysterious man, he found himself tripping over the tree root and landing straight on his ass.

"Shit!" he whispered out trying to remain quiet, but it was too late. He could already hear the figure approaching him from behind.  
"Well, crap" he thought to himself and turned around to confront the man behind him. 

It was not what he was expecting.

The man before him had beautiful pale skin that shone through the moonlight and dark hair that seemed to gorgeous for words. He had a nose that contoured his face nicely and cheekbones that look like they could cut rocks. But that wasn't the main feature the prince noticed. It was the eyes. The man's blue eyes illuminated in the moonlight and Dan found himself drowning in them as if he were drowning in the ocean himself. He was stunned and found himself struggling to find the words to say to the strange man.

"Your Highness, I was sent by your father to come find you. My name is Philip Lester and I am one of the newly appointed guards for the kingdom in case you were wondering." said the man.

So that's why Dan didn't recognize him. He still found himself staring at Philip before he was forced to bring himself back to reality with a blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Oh, um , um sorry, yeah I was wondering because you- you don't look fa-familiar." He stammered out.

"I should be getting you back to your room at once. Your mother is worried about you." said the guard. It was this that triggered Dan to burst into tears all over again.

"Oh, um, Your Highness, what's-*clears throat* what's the matter?" said Philip nervously and not sure what to do.

Dan slid down to the floor and covered his face with his hands. He was embarrassed and nervous and unsure of what to say. Panic rocked his body. 

"It's-it's nothing. I'm-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be here. I just needed to get away for-for a bit."

"Why?" Philip said confused.

Dan wiped his eyes and sat up trying to get his composure together. "I'm just frustrated with this whole stupid Selection thing and I don't want do it and my parents basically don't care and everything sucks and...yeah."

"Well, Your High-"

"Please just call me Dan. Your Highness sounds like shit."

"Okay...Dan. If you ever do need someone to talk to, I can listen."

Dan felt another blush creep up his cheeks. Damn, he felt like a child, but he couldn't help it.

"Well, thanks. Philip." 

"Please call me Phil."

Phil offered a hand to Dan to help him up and offered to walk the young prince back to his room. As the two made his way to his room, Dan's mother came running down the corridor and tugged Dan into a giant bear hug.

"DANIEL JAMES HOWELL! YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK! I understand when you said you need alone time, but disappearing for hours?!" she yelled in his face and turned her head to yell something down the corridor. "BECCA!" The maid came running down the hallway to take Dan to clean him up.

Dan's mother then turned her attention towards Phil.  
"Thank you Officer Lester for bringing him back safely."

"The pleasure is all mine, Your Majesty. I'll see to it that Prince Daniel is well taken care off in the future especially when the Selected arrive." Phil said, bowing.

"I'll see to it that you and your family are well compensated. You are dismissed." And with that, Phil bowed once more and walked down the corridor and exited through the double doors.

Becca made sure that Dan was well cleaned and he was fed before he went back into his master suite for the night. Before he crawled into bed, he saw the moon in his window that had come back earlier and he wondered if Phil was looking at the same moon. Little did he know, he was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan meets the Selected and embarrasses himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: A mere work of fiction
> 
> Sorry for any mistakes or bad writing. (I sometimes leave words out accidentally.)

A week passed by and thousands upon thousands of entries were made for the competition. It blew Dan's mind. He couldn't believe that this many girls were throwing their lives away for something as mediocre as this life. And before he knew it, the Selected were chosen and they were announced on the nightly news broadcast shown throughout the country. The girls came from different provinces all over the country including Waverly, Hansport, and Carolina. One was even coming from his home province, Angeles. Not that it helped anything. He still wasn't excited for it at all. In fact, he was now dreading it. Despite everything, he was still trying to put on a happy face for his mother and a brave face for his father so he could avoid a beating.

Despite all of this, he hadn't been able to see much of Phil. 

After his little disappearing act, Dan was being watched by his own mother like a hawk. He hadn't been to the greenhouse since that night and it hadn't seen the blue-eyed boy either. Dan knew it was too good to be true.

Soon, it was the day for the Selected to arrive and it was the day for Dan's nightmare to truly begin.

\--

He woken bright and early on the day of the meeting. All of the Selected had arrived the day before where they were given a tour of the castle and where they will be staying. He violated in so many ways. He barely had any private life and now what little he had was being invaded again. He heard giggling and squealing echoing throughout the hallways and it made him feel so guilty. He wasn't what the girls wanted. He didn't think he could ever learn to love any of them. How was that fair to them? 

Becca slammed open his door and got him of out of bed so fast, it made his head spin. He was dressed in his new suit that was custom made for him with a sash and his crown to adorn his head.   
"Now Dan, I know this goes without saying, but you better not go fuck anything up. It may not be my place to say, but you really need to start thinking about your future. You have 35 gorgeous women down there who are dying for your attention. I know you are literally the tallest pessimistic to walk the damn earth, but I'm sure you can find happiness in someone. At least promise me you'll try." 

Well, Becca was honest. And she was the closest thing that Dan had to a friend. So he agreed.

"Thank you." she said and she left the room.

Dan got up and looked in his full length mirror one more time to fix his fringe.

It's now or never.

\--

When he entered the dining room, all eyes were on him. He could hear girls whispering with excitement and anxiety.   
"Good morning ladies. I hope you all are finding the castle and kingdom to your liking and I hope that you all slept well last night. While you all continue to enjoy your breakfast, I am going to pull you aside to meet you individually, so we can get a feel for each other--I mean, I am not going to be feeling yo- I mean---Ha, as you can see I am a little bit nervous." He wanted to drop dead right there. The girls were giggling in response. "I guess I will just see you over there." And he walked over to the meeting area quickly.

Well, that could've gone worse.

One at time, each lady greeted him with a curtsy and he quickly apologized for his awkwardness. He began saying the same thing so many times, he felt like a broken record that needed to be put out of its misery. He was then greeted by a particular lady with dark brown hair and green eyes who seemed to be anything, but timid.

"Your Majesty. It is so lovely to finally meet you." she said in a somewhat seductive voice. "My name is Lady Jillian, but you can call me Jill if you want."

Dan wanted to roll his eyes. "Well, I'll be sure to keep that in mind. You will have to excuse my unfortunate mess up during the introduction. I'm a little nervous and not used to big crowds." he said with a light chuckle.

"Well, Your Highness, while I found your awkwardness quite adorable, I actually wouldn't have be totally against your originally request from the introduction." she said with a wink.

Dan laughed, a little confused, but then he realized what she had meant. "Ha. Good to know. Well, I'll let you return to your breakfast, but I will most definitely be seeing you around since you seem to be a.......confident person." He hated this so much.

Lady Jill gave his one last bow and a wink and returned to the table. It was then that the final lady was brought over for the introduction. She had soft red hair and light blue eyes.

"Hello Your Majesty. Thank you for having me." she said with a timid bow. "My name is Ellie...well, actually it's Eleanor, but peo-people call me Ellie. It was my grandmother's name. I'm so sorry, I hope I'm not scaring you off." She looked at the ground almost seeming defeated.

Dan saw something different in her. She had a good heart and she was someone he could find himself talking to. "Hey, you are talking to someone who has been caught mumbling to himself on a constant basis. I also want to apologize for my rude introduction. It was quite out of line."

She giggled in response. "Actually, I thought it was quite funny and cute." A blush seemed to appear across her pale cheeks and she appeared to be even more nervous. "So, um, um thank you so much for having us again and I hope that we can talk more."

Dan gave a giggle as well. "I think that can be arranged, Lady Ellie. Thank you for handling my social awkwardness." And he bowed as well.

Ellie giggled once more and went back to the dining room table.

Dan breathed a sigh of relief that the initial greetings were over and went over to the dining table to say his goodbyes for now.  
"Ladies, you have all been wonderful and I thank you all for your kindness and courtesy."

Unfortunately, with the competition came a price to pay. During each meeting, he had to let his personal assistant Jack keep note of certain girls. Unfortunately, it was these girls that Dan had to send home. He hated doing it. He felt like an ass for doing it, but he had to. The Selected went from 35 to 25 in just an hour and he felt horrible about it.

\--

That night, his mother finally allowed him to go back to the greenhouse, but he was put on a strict curfew. He was exhausted from the day's events and he couldn't wait to be back in his own favorite hiding spot. Until, he heard noises coming from north end of the atrium where he kept his personal collection of potted plants.

Dan was about to start throwing around expletives to the stranger until he noticed who it was.

Phil.

"Phil?" Dan asked with nervousness in his voice.

Phil turned around and immediately went into a panic frenzy to get back into formation. He quickly put back on his jacket and grabbed his gun and put it back in the holster.  
"Your Majesty, Oh my- I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-Oh man, I'm so-" he began blabbering out.

"Phil, Phil, relax, it's okay, I'm not angry or anything." Dan said with a smile.

"It's just- I was put on duty here and I saw all the plants and I didn't know long they'd been watered-" Phil continued to blabber.

"Phil, seriously, it's okay. And remember, don't call me Your Majesty, it's annoying."

"I'm sorry Dan. I should be getting back to doing night check." Phil said, getting ready to leave.

"Wait," Dan stopped him "Can I come with you?"

Phil stopped. "Dan, I don't think you'd want to. It'd get pretty boring for you."

"No seriously, I wanna come. All of the Selected have gone to bed, so I have time. Plus, it'll please my mother to know I'm watched by a guard 24/7." Dan begged.

Phil hesitated but then smiled. "Alright. But you better not run off again or I'll tase you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the Selection process, the prince or princess is supposed to choose who to eliminate after first impressions to speed up the competition. It's pretty heartless, but that's how it works.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan learns a little about Phil and his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: A mere work of fiction
> 
> Sorry for any mistakes or bad writing! Enjoy! :)

"So tell me about you," Dan asked with wonder.  
They were wondering around the grounds for about fifteen minutes before the boy spoke up. The silence was uncomfortable since neither knew how to begin the conversation. The Selected had gone to sleep and the castle was pretty quiet.

"Um, well, what do you want to know?" Phil responded with a bit of confusion in his voice.

"I don't know. Anything. Everything....that sounded weird. Um, what I meant is where are you from, what is your family like?" Dan said trying to recover after an awkward slip up.

"Well, I grew up in Allens across the country. My family wasn't exactly excited about my decision to become a guard, but I knew this could be a good way to provide for them since they really could use the money." Phil responded with a bit of sadness.

Dan sat there a little confused.

Phil took notice and filled in the blanks quickly. "My family. We are all Sixes. Hasn't been easy, but...we make do. Sometimes." He looked at the ground and Dan thought he could see tears appearing in the ocean blue eyes.

Dan sat frozen. It all made sense now. Sixes were very poor and some struggled to even feed their families on a day to day basis. He felt guilt begin to sink on his shoulders. After all, he lived the life of a One. He had no idea what it meant to wake up wondering if you would have a meal or not.

"I'm so sorry." He said in a quiet voice.

"It's alright Dan. It's life. And life can be unfair and unjust." He said with a bit of flare in the last few words.

Dan didn't know what to say. He felt that no matter how he responded, it would make things more tense. So he shifted the conversation.

"Do you have any siblings?" 

Phil turned and looked ahead and smiled. "Yes. I have an older brother named Martyn. He was the hardest to leave. He's been...my best friend." 

"What's he like?" Dan asked with more curiosity.

"Well, he's my older brother so he's been a great mentor. I wasn't the type to make friends in our town. People bullied me because of how I looked or my interests and well...Martyn was there for me. My parents were working hard to support our family and Martyn was working hard to emotionally support me." He said slowly as tears began to slowly roll down his face.

Phil quickly looked down at his boots and wiped his eyes, a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be acting like this."

"No, it's alright. I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable. I'm not exactly good at conversations, so I didn't know exactly where to take this." He chuckled nervously and he felt like a total idiot.

Phil gave him a light smile and giggled. "Well, it's good to see there are other awkward nerds with strange haircuts like myself."

Dan gave him a quick punch to the arm and giggled. "Hey, don't mock my fringe!"

"Oh, I'm not mocking it. I actually like it, especially the little curl you got going on there!" He pointed at the peak of Dan's head. Sure enough, there were little waves beginning to form.

"Hey! You're not allowed to make fun of my hobbit hair! Only I can do it and in case you're wondering, I only ever leave it curly to annoy my father." Dan, exclaimed with a bit of sass.

Phil leaned his head back and laughed. "Interesting reasoning. Well, it's any consolation, try leaving it curly sometime just for fun. It's a good look for you. Gives people some sense of softness, like a teddy bear."

Dan felt his cheeks begin to burn and he was sure he was as a red as a beet. He had never been referred to as....soft before. Or had ever been compared to a teddy bear. Was he implying that Dan was cute?

"Well, that was my childhood nickname. Bear. My mom loved to torture me with it. When I turned twelve, I told my mother I would run away if she kept calling me that."

Phil gave another loud chuckle and that alone brought another smile to Dan's face. There was something about that laugh. It was bright and it brought something with it. Dan could listen to it all night. "That's adorable! My mom just calls me Philly. Now, that's annoying."

Dan gave a somewhat evil grin. "I'll be sure to keep that mind next time you annoy me."

Phil rolled his eyes with a smile. "Good to know. Now what about you? I know you met the Selected. What did you think?"

Dan ran his fingers through his fringe, stressed out by the idea of the Selection once again. "I don't know. There was one girl who I think was trying to seduce me right away and another girl was just agreeing with everything I was saying and....I don't know. There was one girl that was nice. Lady Ellie? Red hair?"

"Oh I've seen her. She seems like a very nice girl."

"Like I said," Dan continued "I think it's too soon to tell. All of this is just so much to take in so soon."

"Well, if you need to vent to anyone, I don't know how much help I'd be, but I can listen." Phil shrugged with a smile.

"Thanks Phil. I really do appreciate it. I don't really have a chance to make friends in this place, so this means a lot."

"Aw, you're welcome Dan." And he pulled the young prince in a comfy hug.

Dan was originally taken back, but he soon he began to reciprocate the embrace. Something about it felt right. Like two puzzle pieces were fitting together perfectly. The hug was too short and Dan found himself internally whimpering when it was done.

"Well," Phil started "I should get you back to your room for the night. It's getting late."

"Yeah....I guess." Dan replied with sadness coating his voice.

The two boys walked to Dan's room making mild conversation as they went along and Dan was savoring every moment with his new friend.

"Goodnight, Dan." Phil said and gave a corny bow.

"Goodnight, you spork." Dan responded with a giggle. He watched the young guard disappear back down the corridor into the darkness.

He was changed into his pajamas and as he lay in his bed, his mind was wide awake replaying this evening's events. He looked at his bedroom window and saw another shooting star passing by.

His wish might've just been answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this universe, society is divided into different castes, ranging from One to Eight with Ones being the royal family and the Eights being the lowest of the low.


End file.
